A case of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis in a 46-year-old woman is presented. The patient showed repeatedly developed erythematous, indurated plaque studded with srnall yellowish pustules on flush area of the left cheek with blood eosinophilia and biopsy revealed histopathological findings of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis. The patient responded well to systemic administration of corticosteroid and dapsone.
Biopsy ; Cheek ; Dapsone ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Folliculitis* ; Humans ; Middle Aged

In order to find out the effect of blood glucose on the ischemic brain injury, the authors studied the relationship between the blood glucose level and the infarct volume in a focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model in a series of 60 adult rats. The experimental animals were divided into 4 groups of 15 rats: rats in group I were allowed free access to food until ischemic insults: rats in group II were fasted for 24 hours prior to ischemic insult: rats in group III were fed but received intraperitoneal injection of 1.7unit/kg of insulin 50 minutes before the onset of ischemia: and rats in group IV were fed and received intraperitoneal injection of 2g/kg of 50% glucose during ischemia. The ischemia was made through unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery(MCA) by inserting a 16mm length of 4-0 nylon surgical thread through the internal carotid artery as well as occlusion of both common carotid arteries(CCA) using nontraumatic aneurysm clips. Reperfusion was induced by pulling the thread that occluded the MCA as well as removing the aneurysm clips from both of the CCAs. Each group was further divided into a(2 hour), b(4 hour), and c(6 hour) subgroups of 5 rats according to the duration of ischemia. All animal were killed 3 hours after reperfusion, and infarct volume determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride was calculated by a computer image software. The results showed that rats of glucose loaded during ischemia(group IV) developed the highest blood glucose levels during ischemia and post-ischemia and the largest infarct volume among groups. The rats which were fed until ischemic insult(group I) developed higher blood glucose levels and larger infarct volume than those developed in group II and III. The rats of group III developed higher blood glucose levels and larger infarct volume than group II. According to our data, lowering the blood glucose level by fasting or intraperitoneal injection of insulin reduced the infarct volme in model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. These results suggest that maintenance of low level of blood glucose during early phase of cerebral infarction may reduce volume of infarction and neurological sequelae.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Animals ; Blood Glucose* ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Infarction ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Infarction ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Insulin ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Attack, Transient* ; Nylons ; Rats* ; Reperfusion

Confocal scanning laser flowmetry(HRF: Heidelberg Retina Flowmetry) is a new kind of instrument which enables non-invasive two-dimentional mapping of perfusion of the retina and optic disc and to evaluate the clinically available reproducibility of the peripapillary and retinal perfusion measurement with the confocal scanning laser flowmetry, the authors calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) from the parameters(volume, flow, velocity). The authors indicate two region of interest in the peripapillary region and retina, not overlapping the large vessels and measure the parameters three times consecutively(one session) while visiting three times intervalled(three session), thereafter calculate the mean CV of parameters in ten healthy eyes of ten subject. The CV of parameters obtained with the confocal scanning laser flowmetry was low relatively and therefore reproducibility was high as the CV lower, the reproducibility higher. Comparing the CV between one session and three session measurement to know the clinically available measurement frequency, the CV of three session (volume 13%, flow 16.7%, velocity 16%) was lower than the CV of one session (volume 16.7%, flow 20.7%, velocity 20.1%) in the peripapillary region(Students t test; volume p=0.009, flow p=0.03, velocity p=0.016) and the CV of three session (volume 16.7%, flow 20.7%, velocity 17%) was lower than the CV of one session (volume 18.2%, flow 21.8%, velocity 21.7%) in the retina(Students t test; volume p=0.017, flow p=0.0009, velocity p=0.0004). Above the results, the CV of parameters(13~21.8%) in one and three session had relatively high reproducibility. Also the CV between two measurements had a difference statistically but the difference was not so high, the authors concluded the confocal scanning laser flowmetry which have high resolution measure the peripapillary region and retina reproduciblly with only one time visit, three consecutive measurements.
Perfusion* ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde* ; Rheology*

We evaluated the efficacy of the full-thickness pentagonal wedge resection for localized trichiasis and distichiasis. Fourteen eyes of eleven patients, who were diagnosed to have trichiasis and distichiasis from October 1995 to October 1997 and had more than 10 aberrant cilia that were clustered together, were included in this study. More than 2 months later, we examined clinical symptoms, recurrent aberrant cilia, and complications. There was no recurrence in 11 lids. In 3 lids there were one to three recurrent aberrant cilia around resection margins, and the patients had mild foreign body sensations. In 2 of 3 cases of symptomatic recurrence, symptoms improved after argon laser treatment. Although one case showed recurrence after argon laser treatment, the patient remained asymptomatic. There were no significant complications including postoperative scarring. Therefore, we suggest that the full-thickness pentagonal wedge resection may be simple and effective for the treatment of trichiasis and distichiasis clustered with many aberrant cilia, especially in high risk patients who have potential for corneoconjunctival complications.
Argon ; Cicatrix ; Cilia ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Sensation ; Trichiasis*

BACKGROUND: Meicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a common cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. Identification of strains by molecular typing facilitates epidemiological studies and improves disease control This study was performed to determine the usefulness of mecA-associated hypervariable region(HVR) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) analysis in the investigation of a nosocomial MRSA infections. METHODS: Methicillin-resistance was identified by NCCLS disk diffusion method using the oxacillin disk. And PCR was done for detection of mecA gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility test, HVR-PCR and RAPD using 3 primers were performed for epidemiological analysis on isolates of MRSA. RESULTS: During the period from 1997 Dec. to 1998 May, 120 strains of S. aureus were isolated from clinical specimens. Among them, 78 strains were MRSA, and 72 strains were mecA positive. The strains of mecA positive MRSA were classified into four types by antibiogram, six genotypes by HVR-PCR, and 29 groups by RAPD using three primers. The combination of HVR genotypes and RAPD analysis showed 43 different types in 72 mecA positive MRSA isolates The five strains which were repeatedly isolated from the same patients showed the same HVR genotypes and RAPD analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiogram, HVR-PCR, and RAPD could classify MRSA isolates into only 4-6 types, respectively, but combination of these methods could improve the typability. And combination of results of RAPD analysis using three primers were better than that using one primer in epidemiological studies of MRSA because of same reasons. It can be concluded that molecular typing of MRSA using HVR-PCR and RAPD assay is useful in epidemiolgical investigation of nosocomial infections caused by MRSA, because of its simplicity and reproducibility.
Cross Infection ; Diffusion ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Molecular Typing ; Oxacillin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Staphylococcus

No abstract available.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency*

PURPOSE: We tried to check the accuracy of references in the Journal of the Korean Pediatric Society and Journals of the Korean Pediatric Subspecialty Societies. We also wanted to know the citation patterns of authors by analyzing the frequency of cited materials. METHODS: Three journals were randomly selected from the 2000 issues of Journal of the Korean Pediatric Society and nine journals were selected mainly from the second half of 2000 issues of each Journal of the Korean Pediatric Subspecialty Societies for the study. Then the accuracy of references was checked with Medline. Journals before 1964, books, and journals which were not written in English were used only in the citation pattern analysis. RESULTS: Author errors were the most common(21.3%) among the reference elements. The next was title errors, followed by page errors, journal errors, volume errors and year errors. Total average error rate was 34.7% and we were unable to find journals in 89 cases(2.2%). The journal of the Korean Society of Neonatology had the lowest error rate(17.4%) and the journal of the Korean Pediatric Cardiology Society had the highest error rate(53.2%). The reference journals which were published and quoted in the most recent three years were only 612 cases(15%). Foreign journals were selected as reference(78.4%) more than domestic journals; The Journal of the Korean Pediatric Society was the most frequently cited reference(43.3%) among domestic journals. CONCLUSION: Authors are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of references and they should check the reference list with responsibility. Hopefully, authors also will have to use more domestic journals and recent journals.
Cardiology ; Neonatology

PURPOSE: Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) is known to exert anti-proliferation effects on many types of cancer cells. However, the effect of L. casei on liver cancer has not been reported. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine the anti-cancer effect of L. casei extract on Huh7 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: L. casei ATCC393 extract was prepared and purified. After the treatment of L. casei extract on Huh7 cells, cell viability, cell cycle arrest and cell death were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 1 (TNFR1) and death receptor 3 (DR3) mRNA related with extrinsic apoptosis were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, P21 and P27 cell cycle proteins as well as Caspase-3, -8, -9, phospho-Bad and Bcl-2 apoptosis proteins were analyzed by western blot analysis. To determine the effect of L. casei extract on cancer stem-like cells, we analyzed changes in side population fraction through flow cytometry. RESULTS: The cell viability of Huh7 cells treated with L. casei extract was decreased by 77%, potentially owing to increases in the rates of Huh7 cells arrested in the G2/M phase (3% increase) and that underwent apoptosis (6% increase). The expression levels of TNFR1 and DR3 mRNA, as well as P21 and P27 cell cycle proteins, were increased. Meanwhile, the expressions of caspase-8, -9, phospho-Bad and Bcl-2 proteins decreased. However, in the case of side population cells, no remarkable changes were observed. CONCLUSION: L. casei extract exerts a potent anti-tumor effect on the viability of liver cancer cells, although not on cancer stem-like cells.
Apoptosis/drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*pathology ; Caspase 8/metabolism ; Caspase 9/metabolism ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects ; Cell Extracts/*pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27/metabolism ; Cytostatic Agents/*pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects ; Humans ; Lactobacillus casei/*chemistry ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 25/metabolism ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I/metabolism ; bcl-Associated Death Protein/metabolism

No abstract available.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency*

Synchronous or metachronous head and neck cancer is known to occur in up to 20% of patients, negatively affecting long-term prognosis. We experienced a case of metachronous head and neck cancers in a Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive patient without a history of smoking, initially presenting with as a cancer of unknown primary (CUP), and then with a contralateral tonsil cancer with metastatic lymphadenopathy five years later. This report highlights the clinical usefulness of HPV typing to determine the optimal extent of surgery and the follow-up strategy in CUP.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Head* ; Humans* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Neck* ; Papilloma* ; Prognosis ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tonsillar Neoplasms